Hello there, this is Lynn Perkins of the history of the Ottoman Empire.

When the Ottomans finally conquered Constantinople in 1453 and put an end to the Byzantine Empire,

Sultan Mehmet II became the first Ottoman Sultan to take on the title of Caesar of the

Roman Empire, which was to be understood to have all the glory of the past emperors and

was also meant to declare the Ottomans belief that they were a continuation of the Roman

Empire.

A belief that was not shared with the West, the Ottomans had built their military traditions

off the constant conflict with the Greek Empire and the Byzantine influence would reverberate

throughout Ottoman history.

So after you listen to Robbins' excellent telling of the history of Byzantium, please

come over and check out my podcast on the history of the Ottoman Empire.

Thank you.

Hello everyone and welcome to the history of Byzantium, episode 106, Mother and Uncle.

Last time we said goodbye to the Emperor Theophilus and to iconoclasm.

Theophilus' son Michael was just two years old when his father died.

So for the first 14 years of his reign, others would rule for him.

As we discussed last time, a Regency Council was set up, dominated by Theodora, the Empress

and the Unic, Theocthistus.

Theodora relied on this experienced official, just as Irene had once lent on Stavrakios.

Only a Unic could be invested with so much power and be trusted not to threaten her son's

succession.

In fact Theocthistus became her de facto Prime Minister during this period, after she fell

...